Every driver dreams of owning a car, but unfortunately, automobiles don’t come cheap. The cost of purchasing a new vehicle is always on the rise, and AAA estimated that the annual price of keeping a used car roadworthy has gone over the $12,000 mark.

This eye-watering sum of money is causing many to seek ways to protect their finances, and while there are a number of options out there, none of them are quite as effective as an extended warranty (also known as an auto protection plan or vehicle service contract). With so many extended warranty providers to choose from, deciding on one can be a tricky process. That’s why we began our comparison series, putting two major names in the vehicle service contract industry head-to-head to see who comes out on top.

Today, we’ll compare Endurance with Complete Car Warranty, comparing their reputations, plans, added benefits, and more. Who will be crowned our overall winner? We’ll give you the rundown, and you can decide.

How Does an Extended Warranty Work?

When you purchase a brand-new vehicle, you also receive what’s known as a factory warranty or manufacturer’s warranty. This states that for a predetermined number of years or miles traveled (whichever comes first), the automaker will repair or replace any components that fail due to fault free of charge. Some manufacturers are more generous than others in terms of how long their factory warranty lasts, but once your coverage is up, all future repair bills will be your financial responsibility. This is where extended warranties come in, which can effectively extend your factory warranty beyond its expiration and protect your wallet for even longer.

There are two types of extended warranties to choose from, one being more popular than the other. The first is a more traditional extended auto warranty, usually purchased via your dealership or manufacturer. These offer very comprehensive coverage but are often more expensive than they’re worth. They’re also very restrictive, forcing you to have auto repairs carried out at an authorized dealership. To make matters worse, you can only purchase this kind of extended warranty while your factory warranty is still active — ruling out most used car owners completely.

As a result, the preferred coverage option is a vehicle service contract from a third-party provider. These generally include almost as comprehensive coverage at an even better price point, plus bonus benefits for even better value for money. Car repairs can be carried out at the certified auto shop of your choice, and you can purchase a vehicle service contract regardless of your factory warranty status. As long as you meet the provider’s eligibility criteria, you qualify for coverage.

Las compañías

So now you know what an extended auto warranty is and how it can help you save money, let’s take a closer look at the companies in question:

Endurance Warranty Overview

From our headquarters in Illinois, Endurance has spent the best part of two decades earning the title of America’s most trusted auto protection provider. Since opening our doors, we’ve helped thousands of drivers save big on the cost of car ownership, with plans to cater to almost everyone. Whether you’re an everyday commuter, a high-mileage car owner, or even if you drive a luxury vehicle, we’re happy to help. We’re always willing to be flexible, too, so if our base plans aren’t quite right for your needs, our friendly team will be more than happy to tailor a personal plan just for you.

As well as market-leading coverage, Endurance customers also enjoy a suite of added benefits as standard, such as Asistencia en carretera 24 horas al día, 7 días a la semana (including towing, fuel delivery, and lockout services), rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption coverage. On top of that, every Endurance contract holder gets a year’s access to our Paquete de beneficios Élite. This adds up to four tire repairs or replacements annually, key fob replacement, up to $500 in collision discounts, and up to $1,000 in total loss protection.

Even better, Endurance is one of the few vehicle service contract providers to directly administer our plans, meaning you get access to the right people when you need to make a claim. Our award-winning customer service team is only a call or email away should you ever need them, plus the handy Endurance smartphone app gives you instant access to the most important plan information at all times. To add icing on the cake, Endurance plans are also fully transferable, giving you extra selling power should you come to sell your vehicle.

Complete Car Warranty Overview

According to their Better Business Bureau (BBB) page, Complete Car Warranty is a vehicle service contract aggregator based in McKinney, TX. This means that they use information about you and your vehicle to match you with a suitable plan from one of three administrators: CarGuard, Matrix, or Royal. Complete Car also offers two plans of its own, which include roadside assistance and towing. Benefits included with plans from the other administrators will vary. For warranties not directly offered by Complete Car Warranty, it does not claim responsibility for the complete details, like terms and conditions.

The Complete Car website is a single page with limited information and a contact form to request a quote. They don’t appear to be contactable via phone, nor is there an email address to reach out to. Despite this, online reviews seem to be somewhat favorable, with customers mentioning affordable plans and quality customer care. Complete Car is available in all 50 states and (like other vehicle service contract providers) gives you the freedom to choose which repair center you take your vehicle to.

The Extended Warranty Plans

Although Complete Car is an aggregator, it does offer two plans of its own. Let’s compare these with the Endurance plans.

Planes de garantía Endurance

Supreme: If you want totally comprehensive coverage, then Supreme is the plan for you. This exclusionary program covers almost every part, component, and system in your vehicle, including seals, gaskets, and some advanced components. Anything not covered will be included in the list of exclusions clearly outlined in your contract.

Supreme For Highline Vehicles: They might look great, but luxury vehicles are some of the least reliable around, leading to more frequent (and more expensive) repairs. To help luxury car owners drive with confidence, we introduced Supreme For Highline Vehicles, a warranty designed to protect specific luxury vehicles with under 80,000 miles on the clock and under 8 years of age.

Advantage: Most vehicle service contract providers aren’t willing to cover the cost of regular maintenance, but Endurance isn’t just any provider. Our Advantage plan is the only one on the market to offer comprehensive coverage plus up to $3,500 per year in maintenance like oil changes.

Superior: One step below Supreme, Superior is another comprehensive plan covering a wide range of parts. Ideal for commuters and road-trippers alike, it covers a number of electronic parts and offers the option to add protection for more advanced tech.

Select Premier: High-mileage vehicle owners need protection more than most, so our Select Premier plan is made specifically for older cars with more than 150,000 miles on the odometer. It covers all of those important components, such as transmission and drive axle assembly components, cooling system, fuel system, and select air conditioning and electrical parts.

Secure: Our most affordable coverage plan, Secure, is the perfect option for anyone who just wants to protect the most crucial vehicle components. It covers all those essential powertrain parts that cost the most to repair.

Secure Plus: Secure Plus includes everything from our Secure plan, plus coverage for brakes, air conditioning, steering, and select electrical parts.

Complete Car Warranty Plans

Complete Car Care Superior: As a stated-component vehicle service contract, Complete Car Care Superior includes coverage for your:

• Motor
• Electrical Systems
• Steering And Suspension
• Automatic Transmission
• Manual Transmission
• Sistema de refrigeración
• Aire acondicionado
• Rear Axle Assembly
• Abs and Brake System
• A/C Fluids And Freon
• Seals and Gaskets
• 4×4 / All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
• Turbo Supercharger
• Sistema de combustible
• Sensors

Complete Car Care Supreme: This plan includes all of the same components as Complete Car Care Superior, plus additional coverage for your:

• Motor
• Electrical Systems
• Suspensión
• Sistema de combustible
• Transmisión
• C.A
• Sensors
• Eating and Cooling
• Brake System
• Car’s Exterior

Customer Benefits

As is common with vehicle service contract providers, both Endurance and Complete Car include additional benefits with their warranties to give you even greater driving confidence.

Endurance Warranty Benefits

Asistencia en carretera 24 horas al día, 7 días a la semana: Experiencing a breakdown can be a stressful experience, so we make sure you’re looked after from all angles. To ensure you’re never stranded at the roadside, 24/7 roadside assistance comes with all Endurance plans—including towing, fuel delivery, and lockout services.

Costos de interrupción del viaje: If you’re far from home when a breakdown occurs, we’ll cover trip interruption costs to minimize the inconvenience.

Reembolso de viaje de reemplazo: More complex repairs can mean your car is at the shop longer than you’d like. Replacement travel reimbursement means you can get back on the road without having to wait.

Endurance Elite Benefits: This spectacular suite of perks can be added on to any Endurance plan, giving you access to up to four tire repairs or replacements annually, key fob replacement, up to $500 in collision discounts, and up to $1000 in total loss protection.

Complete Car Warranty Benefits

Standard benefits: Purchase a plan directly from Complete Car, and you can expect to receive 24/7 roadside assistance with towing service and rental car reimbursement when the car is in for a lengthy covered repair (up to a max of $150 for five days). The Complete Car Care Supreme plan also includes trip interruption reimbursement of up to $200 for food and hotel when the car needs covered repairs overnight on trips more than 150 miles from home.

Plans from their other providers: Benefits included with coverage plans purchased from Complete Car partners vary significantly. You may receive similar benefits to those offered by Complete Car, or perhaps even better ones. As a warning, Complete Car does not claim responsibility for the details of plans that they do not directly offer.

Complete Car Warranty Pros and Cons

To conclude, let’s put the pros and cons of each provider side by side.

Ventajas de la garantía Endurance:

• In business for almost two decades
• 30 días de garantía de devolución de dinero
• Wide range of plans and customizations
• Standard benefits like 24/7 roadside
• Choose any ASE-certified auto shop for repairs
• Award-winning customer service team
• Handy smartphone app
• Direct administrator of plans
• Coverage transferable to future vehicle owners

Contras de la garantía Endurance:

• Coverage not available outside the U.S.

Complete Car Warranty pros:

• Choose your certified auto shop
• Customer reviews state affordable plans and good customer service
• Service finds the best warranty pricing and plan for you and your vehicle
• All plans include some benefits

Complete Car Warranty cons:

• Only two direct plans to choose from
• Third-party provider or reseller of plans
• Plan benefits vary between providers
• Website is a single page
• No mobile app
• Difficult to contact
• Reviews are inconsistent

Protect Your Vehicle with America’s Most Trusted Warranty

When it comes to protecting your pride and joy, only the best will do. That’s why drivers across America choose Endurance for complete driving confidence. If you’re in the market for an extended car warranty or contrato de servicio de vehiculo, find out more about what we can do to protect you from unexpected component failure. Chat 1-on-1 with an Endurance plan advisor at (800) 253-8203, request a FREE quote, o tienda en linea to see your recommended plans and instant pricing.

Make sure to check out the Blog Endurance for more extended warranty provider comparisons with CarShield, CARCHEX, and others.